Clutch



Sept 29, 1936. J. T. TRUMBLE CLUTC H Filed Sept. 6, 1934 2 She'ets-Shet l I ATTO RN EYS Sept. 29,v 1936. J. T. TR'UMBLE CLUTCH Filed Sept. 6, 1934 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f Joh/7 Wam/e ATTORNEY! Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES .PATENTv OFFICE 2,056,059 CLUTCH John T.'Trumble, Detroit, Mich. Application, september 6, 19.5.4, serial No. 742,899 s claims.` (C1. 19a- 52) The present invention pertains to a novelclutch of a type particularly adapted vfor automotive vehicle use. s 1 v Conventional automotive vehicle clutches ordifv narily comprise friction disks, which when moved and held in contact one with the other, establish a driving connection between a driving and a driven part. The'disks arev ordinarily moved into and held in frctional contact by resilient means, such as coiled springs, and are positively moved out of engagement by levers. The levers are positively moved, either by a foot pedal or a power actuator, and the arrangement and construction of the levers are such that in the absence ofv pressure thereon, by the foot pedal or power actuator as the case may be, the resilient means causes the friction disks tobecome engaged. Thisinvention aims to provide an auxiliary clutch disk engaging means in the form of resilient elements, such as `20 coiled springs, to cause the friction disks to be moved to a position of initial engagement prior to receiving they engagement causing...thrust of the main 'clutch engaging means. Generally speaking, means for performing such ra function is disclosed in my prior application iiled February 16, 1934, Serial No. '711,454 and this invention constitutes an improvement over my' prior invention inasmuch as it provides for a lessexpensive and more easily assembled structure.

With the above and other ends in View reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of the present clutch with parts thereofk broken away and in cross section; v.. Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sections' takenrespectively on lines 2 2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. .4 and 5 are fragmentary cross sections illustrating diiierent stages in the'operaton of the device; and Y l Fig. 6 is an elevation of. a detail. l With reference to the-drawings the numeral I designates a power or drive shaft having a flanged end 2 to which a fly wheel 3 is secured. A driven shaft 4 has a splined end 5 disposed adjacentto the flywheel 3 and mounted on thesplines 5 are hub members E supporting a, friction disk .-'I in a position to cooperate with a drive face 8 on vthe ilywheel. Secured to the .flywheel 3 is an annular casing 9 in which is slidably receiveda pressure ring I0. The pressure ringk II) is formed with a plurality of grooves IIk receiving .tonguesk I2 on the annular casing 9 to permit sliding movement of the pressure ring while preventing rotation thereof relative to theannular casingy andthe flywheel 3. Y Y f Secured to the pressure ring III are a plurality ofplates I3, each plate being providedwith a pair of spaced apart apertures 'I4 through-which securing elements I5 extend. The securing elements I5 are provided with heads Iwhich are spaced from the outer surface of theplates I3, as clearly shown lin Fig. 2, to permit a limited amount of movement -of the -platerelative to the pressure ring. The apertures I4 are formed of a diameter greater than the elements I5,as`shown in the drawings, so as to allowV a comparatively Ysmall amount of lateral play between the plates I3 and the pressure ring I0.

Forked elements I1 are each provided with a -screwthreaded stem I8 extending kthrough an aperture I9 in the annular casing 9 and a conical nut 20 is provided onvthe stem to limit its movement relative to the annular casing l9. Sleeved on the'stem I8 between the fork I'I and the annular casing 9 is a compressed coil spring 2I which tends to center the nut 2E! relative to the opening I9 and thus co-maintain the stem I8 and fork I4 projecting outwardly perpendicular to the portion of the casing 9 in which Ythe particular aperture I9is formed. Fulcrumed in each fork I'I isy a lever 22a` and each lever has one end pivotally connected to an ear 22 on a plateV I 3 and its other free end extending toward the driven shaft 4. It will be observed, with reference more particularly to Fig. 1, that `there is `a lever 22a and ear 22 provided at each end of ea'ch plate I3.

The plates I3 are each struck up at two spaced apart points to provide spring centering elements 23. In direct alignment with the spring centering elements 23 the annular casing 9 is provided with spring centering depressions 24 anda coiled spring 25 is interposed between the aligned sets of centering means 23 and 24, the springs 25 beingl in a compressed condition whereby the energy stored therein tends to thrust the plates I3 against the pressure ring IU so that the disk 1 becomes tightly interposed between the pressure ring IU and the drive surface B.

The pressure ring I0 is provided with a plurality of springV centering elements 26 and in alignment therewith the annular casing 9 is provided with spring centering depressions 2l. Received in each set of spring centering means 2S being threerof such` springs in the illustrated embodiment whereas there are six springs` 25.

and 21 is a compressed coiled spring 28, there "50 bined thrust of the springs 25 be greater than the combined thrust of the springs 28.

Slidably mounted on a tubular part 29 on a clutch housing 38 through which the shaft 4 extends is a sleeve 3| carrying thrust bearings 32. The free ends of levers 22a are adapted to engage or be engaged by the bearings 32. A spring 33 has one end connected to the sleeve 3| and its other end connected to the housing 30, the spring 33 being under tension so as to urge movement of the sleeve 3| in a direction away from the levers 22a. A conventional clutch throw 34 is mounted in the housing 38 and inasmuch as means for operating clutch throws are well known to those versed in the art, no particular means has been shown for operating the same.

With the parts in the position shown` in Fig. 2 the levers 22a are positioned so that the springs 25 force the plates |3 against the pressure ringl I0 and the pressure exerted by these springs is combined with the pressure exerted by springs 28 in tightly interposing the friction disk 1 between the drive surface 8 and the pressure ring. A frictional driving connection is thus established between the shafts and 4.

When the clutch throw 34 is'moved so as to move sleeve 3| in a direction toward the flywheel 3 the levers 22a are rocked from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 5, in which position the plates 3 engage the heads I6 and move the pressure ring I0 in a direction away from the flywheel 3. The springs 25 and 28 are thus compressed and the driving connection between shafts and 4 is broken.

When the sleeve 3| is moved in a direction away from the flywheel 3 the pressure of springs 25 and 28 moves the plates |3 and pressure ring I0 respectively toward the flywheel 3 and thus cause the levers 22a to pivot. As shown in Fig. 4 the springs 28 cause the pressure ring l0 to travel in advance of the platesrl3, and at the stage shown the pressure ring is held in contact with the friction disk 1. Continued movement of the levers 22a permits the plates |3 to be moved, Vby springs 25, into engagement with the pressure ring, and the pressure of springs 25 is at this timeadded to the pressure of springs 28 in forcing the pressure ring into engagement with the friction disk. Accordingly it becomes obvious that the function of springs 25 is to cause clutch engagement in the usual manner and the function of` springs 28 is to cause an initial clutch engagement in advance of the function of the springs 25.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:-

1. In a clutch having a movable pressure member for causing clutch engagement and an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, a plurality of plates, means for securing said plates in a circular series around the face of said pressure member and in a manner permitting a limited amount of movement of the plates with respect to the pressure member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said plates and said axially fixed member, levers pivotally supported on said axially fixed member, and means for connecting one end of each lever to one of said plates.

2. In a clutch having a movable pressure member for causing clutch engagement and an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, arcuate elements, means for securing said arcuate elements to said pressure member in a circular series, said means being adapted to permit a limited amount of movement of said elements With respect to said pressure member, levers pivotally supported intermediate their ends on said axially fixed member, and means connecting one end of each lever to one of said arcuate elements.

3. In a clutch having a movable pressure member for causing clutch engagement and an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, a plurality of plates, means for securing said plates in a circular series around the face of said pressure member and in a manner permitting a limited amount of movement of the plates with respect to the pressuremember, yieldable pressure means interposed between said plates and said axially fixed member, levers pivotally supported on said axially fixed member, and means for connecting one end of a lever to each end of said plate.

4. Ina clutch having a movable pressure member for causing clutch engagement and an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, arcuate elements, means for securing said arcuate elements to said pressure member in a circular series, said means being adapted to permit a limited amount of movement of said elements with respect to said pressure member, levers pivotally supported intermediate their ends on said axially fixed member, and means for connecting one end of a pair of said levers to each arcuate element with one lever on each side of the yieldable pressure means associated with each arcuate element.

5. In a clutch having armovable pressure member adapted to cause clutch engagementand an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposedY between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, a plurality of plates, pins secured to said pressure member and extending through apertures in said plates, said pins having heads disposed to permit relative movement between said plates and pressure member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said plates and said axially fixed member, levers pivotally mounted on said axially fixed member, and means connecting one end of each lever to one of said plates.

6. In a clutch having a movable pressure member adapted to cause clutch engagement and an axially fixed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, a plurality of plates, pins secured to said pressure member and extending through apertures in said plates, said pins having heads disposed to permit relative movement between said plates and pressure member, said apertures being of a greater diameter than said pins whereby to permit lateral movement of the plates with respect to said pressure member, yieldable Vpressure means interposed between said plates and` said axially fixed member, levers pivotally mounted on said axially fixed member, and means connecting one end of each lever to one of said plates.

7. In a. clutch having a movable pressure member adapted to cause clutch engagement and an axially xed member, yieldable pressure means l interposed between said pressure member and said axially fixed member, a plurality of plates, pins secured to said pressure member and extending through apertures in said plates, said pins having heads disposed to permit relative movement between said plates and pressure member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said plates and said axially fixed member, levers having one end connected to said plates, a fulcrum for each lever, and yieldable means for supporting said fulcrums with respect to said axially xed member.

8. In a clutch having a movable pressure member adapted to cause clutch engagement and an axially xed member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said pressure member and said axially xed member, a plurality of plates, pins secured to said pressure member and extending through apertures in said plates, said pins having heads disposed to permit relative movement between said plates and pressure member, yieldable pressure means interposed between said plates and said axially xed member, levers connected to said plates, means for pivotally supporting said levers on said axially xed member, said last named means being movable with respect to said axially xed member, and resilient pressure means opposing movement of said last named means with respect tov said axially xed member.

JOHN T. TRUMBLE. 

